The Class Asteroidea off the Mexican Pacific coast is of great interest, not only
because of the high number of genera characteristic of this area, but also for the
close relationships that the endemic species have with species in the Indo-Pacific,
the Mediterranean and the Caribbean (Laguarda-Figueras et al. 2004). There are 59
species in total; 68 % (41 species) are shared with the Gulf of Baja California, 47
Fig. 2.6 a Ophiothrix galapagensis Lütken and Mortensen, 1899, central Gulf of California.
b Astrodictyum panamense (Verrill, 1867), central Gulf of California. c Ophiothela mirabilis
Verrill, 1867, Guerrero, Mexican Pacific. d Ophiothrix rudis Lyman, 1874, Guerrero, Mexican
Pacific. e Echinometra viridis A. Agassiz, 1863, Veracruz, Gulf of Mexico. f Echinometra
vanbrunti A. Agassiz, 1863, Jalisco, Mexican Pacific. Images a and b by Carlos Sanchez-Ortiz,
c and d by Valeria Mas, e by Fred Boulag and f by Magali Honey-Escandón
2 The Echinoderms of Mexico
21
because of the high number of genera characteristic of this area, but also for the
close relationships that the endemic species have with species in the Indo-Pacific,
the Mediterranean and the Caribbean (Laguarda-Figueras et al. 2004). There are 59
species in total; 68 % (41 species) are shared with the Gulf of Baja California, 47
Fig. 2.6 a Ophiothrix galapagensis Lütken and Mortensen, 1899, central Gulf of California.
b Astrodictyum panamense (Verrill, 1867), central Gulf of California. c Ophiothela mirabilis
Verrill, 1867, Guerrero, Mexican Pacific. d Ophiothrix rudis Lyman, 1874, Guerrero, Mexican
Pacific. e Echinometra viridis A. Agassiz, 1863, Veracruz, Gulf of Mexico. f Echinometra
vanbrunti A. Agassiz, 1863, Jalisco, Mexican Pacific. Images a and b by Carlos Sanchez-Ortiz,
c and d by Valeria Mas, e by Fred Boulag and f by Magali Honey-Escandón
2 The Echinoderms of Mexico
21